Remembrance Day

🎉 🇨🇦 Canada • November 11, 2026

Days off: 1 days • Falls on Wednesday

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Remembrance Day — holiday, Canada (November 11, 2026)

Remembrance Day Description

Commemorates the armistice ending World War I on November 11, 1918, and honors all Canadians who served and died in military service. At the 11th hour, a two-minute silence is observed nationwide. The national ceremony at Ottawa's National War Memorial includes a 21-gun salute and the reading of In Flanders Fields. Red poppies are worn throughout early November. The day is a federal statutory holiday, though Ontario and Quebec do not observe it as a provincial holiday.

📜 History & Origins

Remembrance Day was inaugurated in 1919 by King George V to mark the armistice ending WWI at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. It was originally called Armistice Day and renamed Remembrance Day after WWII. The poppy symbol comes from John McCrae's 1915 poem 'In Flanders Fields.'

🎉 How It's Celebrated

The National War Memorial in Ottawa hosts the central ceremony, attended by the Governor General, Prime Minister, and veterans. Canadians across the country observe two minutes of silence at 11:00 AM. Red poppies (distributed by the Royal Canadian Legion) are worn on lapels from late October to November 11. School assemblies feature the reading of 'In Flanders Fields' and the Last Post bugle call. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is adorned with poppies placed by the public.

🍽️ Traditional Foods

No specific food traditions are universally observed on Remembrance Day, but legion halls often serve coffee, tea, and butter tarts after ceremonies, fostering community fellowship among veterans and attendees.

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